Maximus

March 6, 2009

Man the Mall

Just a quick post – There is a silent protest planned for tonight – rain or shine – in Manners Mall, between 5pm and 7pm. This is for everyone who opposes the proposal to run buses through Manners Mall, and to “save the heart of the city”. As they say in their flier – “the city is ours”. And tv3 is arriving and broadcasting live at 6.15 or so. So, it would be good to see the masses massing if you’re keen on keeping Manners Mall for Mankind, and not for a bus-route…

jayseatee

6 - 03 - 09

but that’s my drinking time….

Robyn

6 - 03 - 09

What if you’re ok with the idea of it becoming a bus route? What action should you take? Perhaps steal a bus and drive it down the mall. In fact, you could steal a party bus and incorporate drinking time.

Maximus

7 - 03 - 09

Sooo, did anyone see if this did make the news? was there a massed throng of peoples sitting down in front of buses, sacrificing their lives and bodies to the mighty rubber wheels of the MAN diesels, or was it a flop with no one there? Will it be ok if there are electric trolley-buses only, mixed with pedestrians – or would that just make it worse?

Lyraethe

7 - 03 - 09

Saw the televising occuring but was too chicken to do so on tv. It was a small crowd of about 50 or so?

Andy Foster catches the bus.
People in Wellington are up in arms about this except the owner of one trinket shop.
Manners Mall looks worse on TV than it does in real life.
Rachel Morton moves around a lot.

Wellington City Council appears to be backtracking from a controversial plan to allow buses to travel through Manners Mall which would shave just 30 seconds off journey times. Council papers also show that opening the mall to buses, alongside other traffic measures planned for the Golden Mile, would cost $10.4 million. Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast has cooled on the proposal but said she had not ruled it out. “There has certainly been a significant level of concern raised about a number of issues … and we need to look very carefully at how we resolve those as part of the public transport package. “I haven’t ruled it out … but it is a more cautious approach. Like all these things, the devil is in the detail and we need to get that right.”

Ms Prendergast said the 30 seconds saved on each journey was just one part of the project. “When we talk to people about what would make them change to public transport, one option that always comes up is reliability [of the service].” She said people also wanted a safe service, frequent buses and affordable tickets.

A council spokesman said a “five-figure sum” had so far been spent on the proposal, which was to be considered by the council this month. However, it had been delayed until May to allow council officers to gather more information on whether it was the best solution to the city’s transport woes.

Ms Prendergast said the delay was justified because the $10.4-million project was a big investment and about two-thirds of 760 submitters had opposed the mall being ripped up. Most were concerned with the loss of public space and at possible chaos for delivery vehicles if the mall was opened to buses only. “It would be a mistake to rush ahead with the level of concern there is without being sure that this is the right approach.”

The council’s urban development and transport portfolio leader, Andy Foster, said the Ngauranga to Airport Strategy designed to streamline traffic called for a bus priority plan through the city centre. “If we don’t do Manners then we have to have some other way of delivering that priority. It is a critical plank of our Ngauranga to Airport Strategy and if public-transport priority goes, you really start wondering about the rest of it as well.”

Mr Foster remained in favour of improving the bus route through town but retained an open mind on whether the mall proposal was the best way to achieve the goal. He added that the mall plan would future-proof public transport in the central city because the route would be the most suitable for light rail at a later date. The project also includes work in Courtenay Place as well as lower Cuba, Taranaki and Dixon streets.

Maximus

4 - 01 - 10

Sooo, did anyone see if this did make the news? was there a massed throng of peoples sitting down in front of buses, sacrificing their lives and bodies to the mighty rubber wheels of the MAN diesels, or was it a flop with no one there? Will it be ok if there are electric trolley-buses only, mixed with pedestrians – or would that just make it worse?